# Caesar Salad



## BigVito (Jan 1, 2000)

Caesar Salad (SEE-zer) - The salad consists of greens (classically romaine lettuce) with a garlic vinaigrette dressing. In the 1930s, Caesar Salad was voted by the master chefs of the International Society of Epicures in Paris as the "greatest recipe to originate from the Americas in fifty years."


1903 - George Leonard Herter, is his book Bull Cook and Authentic Historical Recipes and Practices, Volume II, gives his account on who invented the Caesar Salad. NOTE: As I can not find any historical references to back this story, is it a myth or fact? Definition of myth - A story containing within and having about it certain identifiable characteristics that are sometimes use to designate a story or the understanding of some matter as fictional and even downright false. You be the judge:

"Caesar salad was invented in about 1903 by Giacomo Junia, an Italian cook in Chicago, Illinois. Giacomo Junia was the cook in a small restaurant called The New York Cafe. He catered to American tastes as spaghetti and pizza in those days were little eaten by anyone including Italians. It is sometimes falsely stated that this salad was invented in Tijuana, Mexico during the prohibition period and also in San Francisco. Nothing could be further from the truth. The only thing invented in Tijuana were the finest methods every produced to clip tourists.

Giacomo Junia called the salad Caesar Salad. He put a few pieces of Cos lettuce (romaine) in the salad to add a slightly bitter touch to it. . . Giacomo called the salad Caesar Salad after Julius Caesar, the greatest Italian of all time. . . . Junia never thought that the salad would be popular and was more surprised than anyone when people began to ask for it. Many itinerant cooks learned how to make the salad and soon it was made all over North America and even in Europe."

1924 - Most historians believe that Caesar salad honors restaurateur Caesar Cardini (1896-1956), who invented it in Tijuana, Mexico in 1924 on the Fourth of July weekend. It is said that on this busy weekend, Cardini was running low on food and he put together a salad for his guests from what was left over in the kitchen. His original recipe included romaine, garlic, croutons, and Parmesan cheese, boiled eggs, olive oil and Worcestershire sauce. The original salad was prepared at tableside. When the salad dressing was ready, the romaine leaves were coated with the dressing and placed stem side out, in a circle and served on a flat dinner plate, so that the salad could be eaten with the fingers.

In 1926, Alex Cardini joined his brother, Caesar, at the Tijuana restaurant. Alex, an ace pilot in the Italian Air Force during World War I, added other ingredients, one of which was anchovies, and named the salad Aviator's Salad" in honor of the pilots from Rockwell Field Air Base in San Diego. It is reported that Alex's version became very popular, and later this salad was renamed "Caesar Salad." Caesar was said to be staunchly against the inclusion of anchovies in this mixture, contending that the Worcestershire sauce was what actually provided that faint fishy flavor. He also decreed that only Italian olive oil and imported Parmesan cheese be used in the dressing.

Over the years, it became quite the thing to do - to drive to Tijuana for a Caesar Salad. Californians, including Hollywood celebrities such as Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, and W.C. fields dined at Caesar's to escape the Prohibition laws in the U.S. In Europe, Caesar's Salad was also appearing in restaurants. Julia Child, famous cookbook author, wrote about Caesar Salad in her cookbook From Julia Child's Kitchen:

One of my early remembrances of restaurant life was going to Tijuana in 1925 or 1926 with my parents, who were wildly excited that they should finally lunch at Caesar's restaurant. Tijuana, just south of the Mexican border from San Diego, was flourishing then, in the prohibition era. . . Words spread about Tijuana and the good life, and about Caesar Cardini's restaurant, and about Caesar's salad.

My parents, of course, ordered the salad. Caesar himself rolled the big cart up to the table, tossed the romaine in a great wooden bowl, and I wish I could say I remembered his every move, but I don't. They only thing I see again clearly is the eggs. I can see him break 2 eggs over that romaine and roll them in, the greens going all creamy as the eggs flowed over them. Two eggs in a salad? Two one-minute coddled eggs? And garlic-flavored croutons, and grated Parmesan cheese? It was a sensation of a salad from coast to coast, and there were even rumblings of its success in Europe.

Almost 50 years later, when we decided upon Caesar Salad as one of events for our program "Kids Want to Cook," I had, as usual, studied all the sources and found, as usual, there was no agreement among any of them. I evolved what most appealed to me but it lacked a certain authenticity, and it had no drama. Then my producer, Ruthie, suggested we try to locate someone from that era who knew Caesar and really knew that salad. Was there anyone? Indeed there was, Ruthie found Rose Cardini, his daughter, was living in the Los Angeles area, and was the head of a successful spice and salad dressing business. I had a long Boston-to-Los Angeles telephone conversation with her, taking copious notes. She was born five years after her father created his masterpiece, she said, but she knew every detail because it had been so much discussed and remembered."

In the book In Search of Caesar, The Ultimate Caesar Salad Book by Terry D. Greenfield, it is stated:

"In Europe, Caesar's Salad was also beginning to make an appearance. The legend attributes the salad's debut across the ocean to Mrs. Wallis Warfield Simpson (mistress and ultimately wife of Prince Edward VIII of Wales, former King of England). Mrs. Simpson often visited and partied in the San Diego and Tijuana areas in the 1920s. It is said that Mrs. Simpson met the prince of Wales there, at the Hotel Del Coronado. During this time, Mrs. Simpson visited Hotel Caesar's Place and became fond of Caesar's Salad and was sometimes an overbearing guest demanding that Caesar himself toss his salad at her table-side, creating quite a fuss

It is also that that as a result of Mrs. Simpson's extensive world travels, Caesar Salad was introduced to many of the great European restaurants by her instructing international chefs as they struggled to recreate the dressing to satisfy the soon-to-be-Duchess of Windsor's discerning palate. 

Legend has it that she was the first to cut the lettuce into delicate bite-sized pieces with a knife and fork rather than indulging in the finger food Caesar had intended, and as others had simply done. In spite of her reputation and escapades, her manners exemplify the etiquette of a fine lady who preferred not to eat food with her finger. The knowledge of Caesar's Salad quickly spread throughout Europe."

In 1948 Caesar Cardini established a patent on the dressing (which is still packaged and sold as "Cardini's Original Caesar dressing mix," distributed by Caesar Cardini Foods, Culver City, California.


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## replicant_argent (May 13, 2006)

A good Ceasar salad is one of the best precursors to a fine steak that exists.
A bad Ceaser is a pox on the epicurean world.
:tu


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## BigVito (Jan 1, 2000)

can you tell I'm hungry?:ss


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## hova45 (Jun 17, 2007)

I love caeser salad hmmm good


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## BigVito (Jan 1, 2000)

This and Cobb are my top two.


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## hova45 (Jun 17, 2007)

You know whats funny I was about to say how about the cobb salad, I also like springmix and waldorf salad.


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## BigVito (Jan 1, 2000)

hova45 said:


> You know whats funny I was about to say how about the cobb salad, I also like springmix and waldorf salad.


:r
haven't tried the springmix, but could easily go for a waldorf. :dr


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## Sanitariumite (Sep 14, 2007)

replicant_argent said:


> A good Ceasar salad is one of the best precursors to a fine steak that exists.
> A bad Ceaser is a pox on the epicurean world.
> :tu


I couldn't agree more. A good Caesar salad is one of the better salads out there, if not the best. I also really like them as a prelude to good fish, i.e. salmon, halibut, etc.


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## qwerty1500 (Feb 24, 2006)

My wife makes one of the best ceasar salads around. Romaine (I like the hearts and she prefers the whole head), nice big croutons, grated parmesan and a creamy (rather than vinagrette) dressing. Mixes it well and then lets it sit a while before she serves it. 

The next best is this little restaurant near my office. It's similar to my wife's and they always serve it with a couple of slices of fresh baked bread. Probably have it for lunch with a cup of soup 2-3 times a week.


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## jaharr (Sep 13, 2007)

Just finished a caesar salad for lunch!


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## shiek49er (Sep 21, 2007)

caesar is not my top choice for a pre dinner salad, but they are quite tasty.


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## icehog3 (Feb 20, 2005)

Toss any salads lately Perry? 


 Love ya.


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## Puffy69 (Sep 8, 2005)

I used to make table side Caesars when i did fine dining..Fun to do and a money maker..


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## icehog3 (Feb 20, 2005)

Rock Star said:


> I used to make table side Caesars when i did fine dining..Fun to do and a money maker..


How come you didn't toss any salads at MMHII? :r


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## Darrell (Aug 12, 2007)

icehog3 said:


> How come you didn't toss any salads at MMHII? :r


He did not want to steal your thunder. 

:bn


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## Puffy69 (Sep 8, 2005)

icehog3 said:


> How come you didn't toss any salads at MMHII? :r


because you were catering that event..:r


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## Sanitariumite (Sep 14, 2007)

icehog3 said:


> Toss any salads lately Perry?
> 
> Love ya.


Haaaaaahahaha, should've seen that one coming right from the beginning. Thanks for making me laugh loud enough that 15-20 other people in the library just gave me the death glare...:tu
Adam


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## PinkPistol86 (Sep 20, 2007)

My favorite Caesar Salad is with creamy dressing and either steak or chicken as the meat. I don't know how many people like meat on theirs, but the Caesar is my favorite salad of all time. I know it probably has one of the highest calorie and fat content of any salad, but who gives, it's amazing.

Thanks for making me want to go get one right now, lol.


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